What health care issues?
Since this is an election year, I've heard many candidates talking about how they want to improve our country's health care. I have to say that I have been more than happy with the health care here in the state of Florida. When we lived in Indiana, we had health insurance through my husband's job. It was good, covered most things. But we did have co-pays at every Dr.'s visit, prescription fill, hospital stay, etc. as well as a $500 a year deductible that had to be payed before the insurance payed for anything.
In Ohio, we did not have health insurance and payed for everything out-of-pocket. Fortunately, we were never sick enough in that year to have to visit a Dr. and we did a few immunizations through the county where we lived.
Now we are in Florida. We don't have health insurance here either. One of our priorities when we moved here was to get our own health insurance. We looked at many different companies and did not find anything that would cover us for less than $500 a month and even those plans came with a TON of our own out-of-pocket expenses. Then one day Ben came home from school with a flyer in his folder. It said something about help for people who didn't have any health insurance. I called them to find out all the details. Once I talked to the lady, I signed us up immediately.
As it turns out, it IS a government run program with a financial cap on it but you don't have to be food stamps poor to get on it. We just barely made the cut off. It only covers the kids but it's awesome! I pay $20 a month to cover all 4 of my kids- that's right all 4 (even the one still in my belly). This $20 covers EVERYTHING. I have no co-pays, no deductibles. Plus, I get to choose my own providers. So far, it has served us very well.
I don't think other states have such great programs and maybe that's what all the fuss is about for National Health Care. But I do know that this program in Florida is awesome!
Sheryl Bane
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That program you have sounds great. I wish all states would get a similar one.
We have a PPO and it pretty much stinks! I don't trust doctors, but that's an entire different subject.
Good luck with #4. You're a brave woman! 2 practically grown ones wear me out!
Happi
The delivery is not covered, but should the baby need anything while still in the belly, the baby is covered. Also, once the baby is born, the baby's hospital stay etc. is covered.
As a result, you won't see any jobs in Belgium that don't make it worth it: nobody who packs our groceries in the stores, nobody in the airports mopping the floors every 100 meters (the floors are clean, but with less cleaners I think), nobody standing there to point people to the correct customers line, etc...
Then everybody needs to be a member of one of the social security organisations: choice of a catholic one, a socialistic one, a liberal one and some neutral ones. The first 2 are the biggest. They get the government money via a specific ratio (on membership?).
When we go to a doctor they charge us a fixed rate. A general visit to a non-specialist currently costs 20 euro...a specialist 40-60 euro. We have to advance the money (still difficult for some poorer people) and then we get a refund of 75 - 90%!! So in the end a doctor's visit is quite cheap. We get pushed to pay our doctor 50 euro/year to keep our medical files (totally refunded) and then the prescriptions and visits to this doctor will be cheaper than when you start doctor hopping. I just moved last year and had my medical file transfered to my new doctor. This way I know he has access to my entire medical history.
Most of the medication is prescribed drugs. A drugstore in Belgium is truly just a counter where a pharmacist prepares your medication or sells the prescribed products. The concept to go and buy picture film or post cards or candy in a drugstore was something I had to get used to when being an exchange student in Canada ;). Some drugs are free to buy, some are cheaper when you have a prescription and some can only be bought with a prescription. Here it is not us advancing the total amount, but with your social security card, you get the discount right away.
This entire system works for everyone: employed or unemployed, sick or healthy. The logic is that the employed healthy people support via their taxes those who need it. Obviously the state needs to watch that the system remains payable and that there is no abuse. Also the government needs to constantly watch our tendency to "overconsume" medical services as it is so cheap anyway. I've read once that a Belgian goes on average 11 times a year to a doctor. Knowing that for every absence at work we need a doctor's notice, that most drugs are prescription drugs, etc... I am not totally surprised.
Hospital costs are not totally refunded, but most companies (including my employer) has a hospital insurance plan or you can buy a private one. No idea how much that costs. If you insist in having a private room by your own, the government considers this as "luxury". Then the specialists are entitled to raise their honorarium by 200-300% to pay by yourself. Although some hospital plans will cover this for specific situations.
There are no waiting lists in our hospitals for surgery etc (well almost none) ...as a result the British NHS has contract with Belgian hospitals to send patients over!
Children's dental appointments are almost totally refunded on the condition that they go for a yearly check-up! (this does not include the cost of braises or something).
For some chronic illnesses, there is now the concept of 'the maximum bill'. All defined costs are added-up and once passed by that I think the social security has to compensate.
The different social security groups try to attract 'customers' by differentiating themselves on prevention campaings. The doctor's visits are all officially regulated so they can't do it that way. So they offer youth camps (that already exist over 60 years...even my mom has been on them...the idea was to get city children out of there and get them in a healthy environment at the sea or in the mountains of Switserland for a while), they offer some discounts on fitness plans or weight watchers memberships, or they pay 100% immunisations against hepatitis for those under 25 years, etc etc... All within very specific conditions though, I seem never to apply to any of those.
All in all, I think we are very lucky. We get good service , as it ought to be with all those taxes paid ;). There are still loopholes and disadvantages in our system as well and chronic ill people in Belgium will probably stills truggle as they have more than only medical costs, usually combined with no or low income etc... Yet I think the average Belgian does not have to worry about medical costs at all, which is nice. Let's hope the system never goes broke with our aging population.